Forget me Not
by Richforce
Summary: Ami's mother has gotten a lung condition. How long will the two of them have together?


Forget you not

Twenty five year-old Ami Mizuno climbed up the hill, the birds were singing on the Palm Sunday morning of March 20, 2005. _Ten years, _she thought to herself. _It's already been ten years since it started._ She continued until she stood in front of a couple of graves with the inscriptions, Muzino Aiko and Muzino Toma.

"Hi Mom, Dad." she said. Memories flooded into her of that morning.

* * *

March 20, 1995 around 8:00 am

"You can't beat Harpy!" screeched the bird-like Lemure as it swooped around.

"Guess again!" said Sailor Mercury. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Harpy's wings were covered in ice forcing it to land.

Chibi Moon got out her bell. "Moon Twinkle Yell!"

Pegasus appeared and Sailor moon prepared her final attack. "Moon Gorgeous Mediation!"

Harpy was then destroyed as it screeched. Then the Senshi heard another kind of screeching, the screeching of ambulance sirens.

"What?" asked Sailor Venus.

"We better check it out." said Sailor Mars.

As they got closer more sirens could be heard then they were stopped by a couple of police officers. "I can't let you go any further!" one of them said. "Emergency personnel only!"

"Why?" asked Sailor Moon. "What happened?"

"Some nuts released nerve gas in the subway." said the other officer. "A lot of people are sick; we even have a few fatalities."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Sailor Moon.

"I doubt it, I'm not sure about you but the best thing for most people your age to do right now is to head to go home and avoid the subway."

"Best to do as he says." said Sailor Jupiter.

As they left Sailor Mercury heard the officers again.

"Emergency personnel only!"

"I'm a doctor." The woman said as Sailor Mercury turned around. "I've been given clearance."

"Mom?" Mercury said as her mother was allowed through.

The rest of the day had an air of anxiety for the Senshi, in spite of all their power there was nothing they could do and no telling if there would be more attacks. At the end of the day over five thousand five hundred were sick from the gas and twelve people were dead. As Ami entered her apartment she was relieved. She was sad over the deaths of course; but it could have been worse, a lot worse. She hit the answering machine, only one message, not surprising as the phone lines jammed all day. "Ami its Mom, I won't be home tonight, I'll be pulling a few shifts to handle, well what happened today. I know you probably heard it on the news or at school, I'm fine and we're going to pull through this, I know you weren't on the subway and I wasn't directly exposed to gas. Anyway, cough cough, sorry as I was saying we have instant Ramen in the pantry so you're ok for dinner. Oh and Ami, spend at least a little of what's left of spring vacation having fun, bye."

Ami felt like things were going back to normal, her mother worked late before. That day ended just like many in that apartment.

* * *

Days later Ami had come back home from school and was doing her homework as her mother was reading a book. Aiko then started coughing; as it continued the coughing got worse and worse. "Mom, are you ok?"

"Fine sweetheart, I must have caught a cold from the hospital. Cough, cough, cough."

"Doesn't sound like a cold to me, this is the third day in a row; maybe you should see a doctor."

"Ami, I'm fine. I just have to take some cold pills, wear a mask and I won't even have to skip work."

"I'm not so sure, Mom I'd be more comfortable if you saw a doctor."

"Ok, I'll see a doctor." Aiko then stepped in front of a mirror. "Dr. Mizuno. Hello Mrs. Mizuno, why are you here today? I've been coughing a lot lately what do you think? You have cold; take some pills, wear a mask, take it a little easy and you'll be fine. Thank you Dr. Mizuno. Always nice to see you Mrs. Mizuno."

"Mom I'm serious, you need a second opinion."

Aiko turned back to the mirror. "By the way Mrs. Mizuno your daughter needs to lighten up." Ami grunted. "Your father always thought it was funny."

"Mom, I'm starting to really worry about this."

"Alright you win; I'll schedule an appointment with Dr. Yamauchi, will that make you feel better?"

"Yes, mom."

"Ok, after you're done want to watch a movie with some popcorn?"

"You know it."

* * *

A few days later Ami was doing some house work when her mother came back. Aiko had a very sad look on her face. "Mom what's wrong?"

Aiko sat Ami down. "Sweetheart, something's wrong with me. That day the subway attacks happened and I treated some of the victims. I inhaled some of the gas on their clothes. I knew about the risk and I thought I was ok when I took some antidote at the hospital but it was in my body too long, the nerves around lungs are slowly dying right now."

"Dying!"

"Ami I'm ok, for now; It's probably just some short term damage."

"And if it isn't!"

"Then I may lose the ability to breathe on my own."

"So you're going to die!" Ami was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Ami, Ami sweetie calm down. I'm sure it's only short term and even if it isn't I can use a respirator."

"No you don't understand! I could lose my mom because some sickos thought it was part of their religious duty to prepare for the end of the world by gassing people on their morning commute!" Ami then ran into her room and started sobbing.

"Ami, Ami please listen to me!"

But she was too shook up. "If only I could make her better, why can't Sailor Mercury heal?"

* * *

Ami eventually learned to except her mother's condition, after Galaxia was healed and Chaos was defeated no enemies showed up. Ami was now split her primary attentions between her studies and helping her mother. Aiko's condition steadily got worse; she was forced to quit her job as a doctor and spent most of her time at home, they also needed to buy a machine that purified the air in the apartment to make the air inside have a high oxygen concentration. Ami came home one day during her senior high school year. "Mom, I'm home!"

"I'm just on my way out." Aiko said.

"You're going out? Mom you're leaving your respirator behind!"

"I don't need it full time and I'm just going to do some shopping, maybe have a talk with Megumi."

"Mom, Megumi smokes I can't let you near her, I'll do the shopping."

"I can handle myself young lady."

"Then bring your respirator!"

"I told you I don't need it all the time!"

"And if you start choking because your lungs won't work!"

"I won't let my own daughter treat me like a baby! I brought you into this world through a lot of pain; I raised you after weathering a divorce and I deserve more respect than this. So I…" Aiko ran short of breath. "…I…" she then fainted.

"Mom!" Ami got the phone and called 9-1-1 she then administered CPR until the paramedics arrived.

At the hospital Ami's friends came to comfort as she waited for the diagnosis. The doctor came out. "We stabilized her but…"

"But what!" Ami asked.

"The lung damage has gotten worse; she'll have to stay on one of our respirators."

"For how long?"

"Indefinitely."

"No…"

"It's ok Ami." said Usagi.

"It's not ok! Why did she have to be so brave, why didn't she just take that day off!"

"Calm down!" said Makoto. "It's not your fault or anyone else's that she was there. All we can do is hope."

"Hope?"

"That's right, there's always hope."

"Thanks you're all the best friends I could ever have."

* * *

The next day Ami was allowed to visit her mother. Aiko was breathing into a plastic mask connected to the respirator. "Mom, I'm sorry that…"

"No need to apologize, I was being stubborn. You know the old saying 'Doctors make the worst patients'."

"Why is that?"

"I guess it's because when you have other people's health in your hands it's hard to put yours into someone else's."

"Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Well there was something I wanted to ask you to do."

"Just name it."

"Call your father and see if he can come pay me a visit."

"But I thought…"

"Ami I really want to talk to him and I think it would do you some good to do the same."

"Ok."

* * *

Ami's father, Toma, came about three days after she made the call. "How is she?" he asked.

"As well as can be expected."

"Ami, about the divorce, you were just a little girl and neither of us wanted to hurt you."

"It's ok Dad, I didn't stop loving you because of that, but I wish I saw you more often than birthdays and Christmas.

"I'm truly sorry, if I could do it all over again…" he then opened the door to Aiko's room. "Aiko…"

"Toma…"

"What you did was very brave."

"It was just my job."

"I can't help but feel that somehow I did this to you."

"And I can't help but feel that I caused you to lose your inspiration lately."

"Why did we get a divorce?"

"I can't remember."

"Neither do I, must have been a very stupid reason if we don't remember it now."

"I have something important to tell you both; this machine will keep me alive for a while, but I know I'm going to die here."

"Mom, don't say that…" Ami said.

"Ami, listen to me. When I longer show brain activity for an hour I want one of you to turn off the respirator. I want it done by someone I love, not some stranger. Do you both understand?"

"I'm not sure I can." said Ami.

"After an hour I don't think my brain will start waving anymore."

"Ok."

"And you Toma?"

"Only on one condition, getting that divorce and leaving Ami were the worst mistakes I ever made. I know I probably can't make up for them but I'd like to try." Toma got down on one knee. "Marry me again, if I have to turn you off I want to do it as your husband, not your ex-husband."

"Yes, I'd like a second chance too."

The wedding took place only a couple of days later. It was a small ceremony with just the two of them, the preacher and Ami and a Doctor as witnesses. Toma moved back to the apartment but during college Ami stayed with Makoto. About eight and a half years after Aiko's lungs started failing she finally succumbed, Ami was the one to turn the respirator off, and the day before Ami told her parents her secret.

* * *

March 20, 2005

"So how have you two been? Getting along?" Toma was killed in a car accident a little over a year ago. "Mom you were my biggest inspiration, I just finished medical school, and I'm going to be a doctor like you. Dad, you taught me to enjoy the beautiful things in life; I don't think I would have passed if I didn't take some time to notice how beautiful the world was. I plan on having my own practice, marry, have children and bring about Crystal Tokyo. But no matter where life takes me I'll never forget you."

She laid a flower at each of the graves. "Goodbye for now." She turned down the hill and saw the other senshi waiting for her except one; Makoto joined her part way down. "Have a nice chat with them?"

"Yes I did."

"Your parents and mine are still looking after us."

"And we still have the rest of our lives to live as well so let's live them to the fullest.

The end

* * *

The subway gas attack was a real event that occurred on the mentioned date. I'm dedicating this piece to the victims of that tragic event. 


End file.
